Dick Oakes learned this dance from John Filcich. Dick Crum and Atanas Kolarovski have taught variants.

BACKGROUND:

Rokoko is a Croatian-Serbian dance with Hungarian influences. On their boots, the men wear spurs that jingle during the dance. Rokoko is danced by the Bunjevač (Catholic) people in the neighborhood of Subotice (Subotica), a city in the western part of Vojvodina in northern Serbia. Once, the largest city of Vojvodina region, contemporary Subotica is now the second largest city in the province, following Novi Sad. The name Subotica derives from the Serbian / Bunjevač word for "Saturday" or "Sabbath" ("subota") and first appeared in 1653.

Step L next to R (ct 1); low hop L, clicking heels together (ct &); and so forth for a total of ten step-hops;

3-7

W: Dance same steps as M except that they do not click heels and low hops are not as strong as M;

8

Stamp L,R,L in place, taking wt on each stamp (cts 1,&,2).

Repeat entire dance from beg.

ROKOKO KOLOSerbia and Croatia

The song "Oj, divojko rokoko" (oy DEE-voy-koh roh-koh-KOH) or "Hey, fancy girl" is an old favorite of the so-called bećar repertory of Slavonia (eastern Croatia) and the Vojvodina region of Yugoslavia. The term bećar was applied to the "swinging" young bachelors of the village who spent much time in the local tavern, drinking, playing the tanburica, and singing merry, uninhibited songs about women, rakija, and the glories of the active single life.

As was the case with many bećar songs, the words for "Oj, divojko rokoko" were often improvised on the spot, although there were a few standard verses that were sung toward the beginning to get the creative process warmed up. The melody of this song led an independent life as a dance tune, retaining the word Rokoko as its title, and often the musicians would sing a verse or two as the people danced. The dance itself had several variants.

The melody of this song led and independent life as a dance tune, retaining the word Rokoko as its title, and often the musicians would sing a verse or two as the people danced.